Boy Scouts need a bigger tent

4:25 PM,
Feb. 6, 2013

Written by

Alvin Townley

On countless rainy camp outs with Troop 103, I learned to pack a big tent. If my patrol faced rain outside, we wanted as many Scouts as possible under our shelter. Disagreements naturally erupted inside that tent, but we resolved them for the good of the troop.

In 100 years of Scouting, countless differences have arisen in our coalition of faiths, backgrounds, incomes and politics. Yet we have always come together for our Scouts. This week, many expected the Boy Scouts to set an example of leadership and unity by opening Scouting's tent to a broader swath of society.